This proposal is submitted to RFA-DE-99-002 'International Collaborative Oral Health Research Planning Program'. The long-term aim of this international research consortium is to determine optimum interventions to reduce dental caries in children in disadvantaged communities and minimize the effects of exclusion from health care systems, of ethnic diversity, and health inequalities. Research is lacking in the interactions vertically in the paradigm between molecular and psychosocial impacts within and between ethnically diverse and impoverished children. Three specific aims are to be addressed under this planning grant. First to examine the microflora of ethnically diverse children with and without dental caries and determine whether there are differences in the pattern, the virulence and the behavior to fluoride. Second, to develop, validate and pilot a measure of familial and cultural perceptions and beliefs that contribute to the development of caries experience in children from diverse ethnic and socio-economic groups. Third, to identify the characteristics of children with adverse health service utilization rates and the characteristics of those health services which result in minimum exclusion and more favorable and equitable health outcomes. This consortium comprises 32 scientists from 10 countries from a range of disciplines with data from many research studies, each augmenting any individual country's efforts. There are 5 WHO Collaborating Centres among the consortium and the support of the European Regional Office of WHO is among those given. This consortium is well placed to make a significant impact on this universal childhood illness.